Based on मगध की लोक कथाएं : अनुशाीलन एवं संचयन by डॉ. राम प्रसाद सिंह
Tags: brothers, employment, consequences, greed, redemption
The story revolves around two brothers, Neekiya and Badi, who seek employment from a king. Neekiya, facing harsh conditions, chooses to mutilate himself to quit, while Badi takes the job with a selfish twist, killing the goats meant for grazing. His reckless actions lead to trouble, including the accidental death of the king's son. Eventually, through a series of misadventures, Badi's deceit and manipulation culminate in his downfall, as the king punishes him for his actions. Ultimately, both brothers end up together, having learned from their experiences, and they live happily ever after. The story highlights themes of greed, consequences of one's actions, and the bond between brothers.
एगो गाँव मे दूगो भाई हलन। उनकर नाम हल नेकी आउ बदी। एक दिन नेकिया नोकरी ला घरे से निकलल। एगो राजा हीं जा के नोकरी करे ला पूछलक। राजा कहलन कि ''हमरा तीन सौ साठ गो बकरी हे। ओकरे चरावे परतउ। घामा में चरयबें, तऽ एक कौर भात देबउ, आउ छहिरा में चरयबें, तो एक कोना रोटी देबउ। अगर तू नोकरी न करल चहवें, तो तोर नाक-कान काट लेबउ, आउ अगर हम नोकरी से हटैबउ, तो हम्मर नाक-कान तू काट लीहें!'' नेकिया ओही करार पर नोकरी करे लगल।
कुछ दिना के बाद ऊ नोकरी से उबिया गेल आउ अपन नाक-कान कटवा के नोकरी छोड़ देलक। घरे आयल तो बदिया देख के पूछलक कि ''ई का होलवऽ भाई?'’ नेकिया सब हाल कह सुनौलक। बदिया कहलक कि ''अब हम नोकरी करे जाइत हिवऽ!'' ऊ ओही राजा के इहाँ जा के ओही सरत पर नोकरी करे लगल। जंगल में जब बकरी चरावे जाय, तो रोज एगो बकरी मारे आउ खा जाय! ई तरी तीन सौ साठो बकरी के ऊ खा गेल।
एक दिन राजा के लइका के दीसा लगल, तो राजा बदिया से कहलन कि ''एकरा दीसा फिरा लावऽ!'’ दीसा फिरावे गेल तो कहलक कि ''दीसा फिरवें, तऽ चुतरे में चुट्टी काटबऊ!'' लइकवा डरे दीसा न फिरलक। घरे आन के फिनों दीसा फिरे ला लइकवा रोयल। राजा खिसिआ के बदिया से कहलक कि दीसा न फिरत? तऽ बदिया कहलक कि ''दीसा न फिरवऽ, तऽ हम का करिवऽ!'' राजा कहलन कि ''अबरी न फिरत, तऽ पेड़ के सोरिआ पर पटक दीहें!'' बदिया फिन ओने ले जा के कहलक, तऽ लइका चुट्टी काटे के डरे दीसा न फिरलक। तऽ टंगरी धर के ओकरा सोर पर ऊ पटक देलक। लइका ओहिजे फरफरा के मर गेल। राजा भीर आन के ऊ सब जे, बात हल कह देलक, तो राजा कहलन कि भीतरे जा के खबर जना दे! बदिया घरे जा के कहलक कि ''बाबू के 'बरतुहार' आवइत हवऽ, से गीत गावे कहकथुन हे!'' घरे गीत गवाये लगल। राजा पूछलन कि ''अरे, सब गीत गावइत हई रे।'’ तो बदिया कहलक ''हम का करिअई?'’ राजा फिनो कहलन कि ''रोवे ला जा के कह देहीं!'' तो ऊ जा के कहलक कि ''बरतुई नजदीक आ गेल हे, जरा जोर से गावे कहकथुन हे!'' राजा जोर से गीत सुन के पूछलन तो बदिया कहलक कि ''हम का करूँ?'’ तब राजा कहलन ''ले लोढ़ा, जा के सब के मुँह चूर दे!'' बदिया जा के सब के मार लोढ़ा मुँह चूर देलक। राजा पूछलन कि ''कोई बोलइत न हउ रे?'’ तो ऊ कहलक कि बोलतई कइसे ''सब के तो मुँहवा चूर देलिअई हे!''
तब राजा एक दिन रानी से कहलन कि अपन नइहर भाग चलऽ! सुन के बदिया खाय के बक्सा में छीप गेल। राजा-रानी बक्सा ले के चललन। रात भेल तऽ बक्सा खोले पर ओकरा में से बदिया निकलल। राजा-रानी कपार ठोक के बदिया के साथे ले के चललन। एगो कुआँ पर रात में तीनों सूत गेलन। कुआँ दने बदिया, बीच में रानी आउ बगल में राजा सूतलन। नीन पड़ला पर बदिया अपन चादर रानी पर ओढ़ा देलक, आउ रानी के चादर अपने ओढ़ के बीच में सूत गेल। राजा उठलन, आउ नोकर जान के रानी के कुआँ में ठेल देलन। फिनों रानी के उठवलन तो बदिया निकलल। फिनों किसमत ठोक के राजा बदिया के साथे चललन। दूनों राजा के ससुरारी पहुँचलन। बदिया घर में जा के कह देलक कि ''राजा के अइसन बेमारी होयल हे, कि बइद मोटा अनाज खाय ला बतौलकइन हे। अपने से राजा केतनो कहतन, तइयो तोहनी मेंही अनाज खाय ला मत दीहँ!'' राजा लाजे कुछ कहथ न। ऐसहीं कुछ दिन बीतल। एक दिन आधा रात के राजा के भूख लगल। बदिया से पूछलन कि ''कुछ हई रे?'’ ऊ कहलक कि एगो बरतन में थोड़े बूँट तो हवऽ। राजा के दू मुट्ठी बूँट देलक, आउ अपने बूँदिया-मिठाई खयलक।
रजवा पूछलक कि ''हमर अवाज करइत हे, तोर अवाज न करइत हउ?'’ बदिया कहलक कि सरकार, हम तो गत ही दबा देइत ही। राजा के बूँट खयला के बाद तड़के दीसा लगल। बदिया कहलक कि बूँटवा ओला बसनवाँ में फीर दे हू! अन्हारे फेंक देबई! राजा खखन में बसने में दीसा फीर देलन। अन्हारे बदिया के उठावथ, तो उठबे न करे। एने साफ होयल जाइत हल, से राजा अपने बसना उठवलन आउ चद्दर ओढ़ के फेंके चललन। तब तक बदिया साला से कह देलक कि मालिक रुसल जाइत हथुन! सरवन घुरावे ला चललन, तो राजा ओहनी के देख के आउ जोर से लाजे भागलन। साला उनका पकड़लक तो ई दसा देख के सब हाल पूछलक। तब राजा बदिया के सब कहानी कहलन। अंत में राजा बदिया से नाक-कान कटवा के ओकरा नोकरी से हटा देलन। बदिया अप्पन घरे आन के अप्पन बड़का भाई नेकिया से सब कहानी कह सुनौलक। फिन दूनों खुसी से रहे लगलन।
In a village, there lived two brothers named Neekiya and Badi. One day, Neekiya set out from home for a job. He went to a king and asked for work. The king said, "I have three hundred sixty goats to graze. If you graze them in the sun, I will give you a bowl of rice, and if you graze them in the shade, I will give you a piece of bread. If you refuse the job, I will cut off your nose and ears, and if I dismiss you from the job, you may cut off my nose and ears!" Neekiya agreed and started working under those terms.
After a few days, he became tired of the job and chose to cut off his own nose and ears to leave. When he returned home, Badi saw him and asked, "What happened, brother?" Neekiya narrated everything. Badi said, "Now I will go and take the job!" He went to the same king and under the same agreement started working. When taking the goats to graze, he would kill and eat one goat daily! In this way, he finished off all three hundred sixty goats.
One day, when the king's son had a ceremonial event, the king told Badi, "Bring my son back!" When he went to bring the boy, he said, "If I bring back the boy, I will cut him up!" The boy was frightened and didn’t return. When he came home, he cried to come back again. The angry king asked Badi if the boy did not return. Badi replied, "If he doesn't return, what can I do?" The king then said, "If he doesn't return now, throw him from the tree!" So Badi took him there and said, but the boy didn't return out of fear. Badi then held him by the leg and threw him from the tree. The boy fell and died on the spot. The king, upon learning the news, commanded that someone go inside and inform (the family). Badi returned home and told them, "The 'bridegroom' is coming, sing songs!" They began to sing. The king asked, "Why is everyone singing?" Badi replied, "What can I do?” The king instructed again, "Go tell them to cry!" So he went and said, "The bridegroom is close by, sing loudly!" After hearing the loud songs, the king asked, to which Badi said, "What can I do?" The king commanded, "Take a lump of clay, and go and silence everyone!" Badi went and silenced the mouths of everyone with clay. The king then asked, "Why is no one speaking?" He replied, "How can they speak when I've silenced everyone?"
Then one day, the king told the queen that they should return to her maternal home! Hearing this, Badi hid in a food box. The king and queen took the box along. At night, when they opened it, Badi came out. The king and queen were furious and took him along. At a well, the three of them fell asleep. Badi slept near the well, with the queen in the middle and the king beside her. As they slept, Badi covered the queen with his blanket and took the queen's blanket for himself and fell asleep in the middle. When the king woke up, he, mistaking the queen for Badi, pushed her into the well. Upon waking up the queen again, Badi came out. The king then, already frustrated, proceeded with Badi. They both reached the king's in-law's house. Badi entered the house and informed them, "The king is so ill that he is advised to eat coarse grains. No matter how much the king tells you to give him grains, do not give him any!" The king felt ashamed and did not say anything. Some days passed like this. One night, the king felt hungry. He asked Badi, "Is there anything?" Badi replied that there were some grains in a pot. He gave the king a handful of grains while he himself ate sweets.
The king asked, "Why is my voice heard but yours isn't?" Badi replied, "Sir, I always suppress it." After eating the grains, the king soon fell asleep. Badi said, "The grains are again returned to the basket! I will throw them into the dark!" The king soon returned the grains to the basket. When Badi was pulling the grains out, he wouldn't rise. As things were getting clear, the king lifted his basket and threw it away. At that moment, Badi said, “The master is getting angry!” When they both turned away, the king saw them and fled in shame. When his brother caught him, they all inquired what had happened. The king then narrated the entire story to Badi. In the end, the king had his nose and ears cut off and removed him from his job. Badi returned home and shared the entire tale with his elder brother Neekiya. Both brothers then lived happily together.